Page 56 of Wired Target

The elevator opened.

Sophie clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out in shock.

The children were fine.

Sean was sleeping in his carrier, and Momi was sitting inside a fenced play area, fully occupied with several plastic tubs of brightly colored, soft clay.

Armita sat with her back to the fence containing Momi, her body angled to conceal the small pistol she held pointed at a woman, gagged with one of Sean’s bibs, whose hands were bound to a low overhead pipe: a petite, tawny-skinned woman with fashionable long brown hair and heavily made-up eyes: a woman Sophie recognized.“Mother.”

Pim Wat blinked dramatically long false eyelashes once, in acknowledgement.Her eyes were an unnatural green.

Sophie went straight over to Armita.“Angel said you were hurt,” she hissed, trying not to draw Momi’s attention.

“Just a scratch.”Armita lifted the arm tucked against her side.Blood on her ribs stained her black shirt darker.“Not poisoned.I got her blade away; she nicked me with one from our butcher block.”

Sophie whirled to glare at her mother.Pim Wat shrugged.

“Mama!”Momi had spotted Sophie and jumped up from her play.

“Hey, Little Bean.”Sophie crouched to hug the toddler for a long, fervent moment.“Let’s go back upstairs, shall we?”

“Yeah!It’s stinky down here.”Momi wrinkled her nose.The room smelled like the strong perfume Pim Wat wore.

Sophie picked up Sean’s carrier, bending to kiss his sweet forehead.“Are you able to walk, Armita?”

“Of course.”Armita pushed herself upright with the hand not holding the gun.“But I should keep an eye on this one.”She gestured to Pim Wat with the barrel.

“No.I have a better idea.”Sophie bared her teeth in a smile.“We’ll just turn off the lights when we leave.You know how dark it gets down here when that happens.She won’t be going anywhere.”

“Who that mean lady, Mama?”Momi took Sophie’s hand, staring at Pim Wat with troubled eyes.She popped a finger in her mouth.“She tried to hurt ‘Mita.”

“Nobody important, darling.”Sophie shepherded Armita and the kids ahead of her to the elevator.“You get on up with the children.I’ve alerted Lei and the police that we’d had an intruder, so they’ll be looking for you.I’ll turn off the lights and come up in a moment.Say nothing to Lei about what happened.”

“All right.”Armita gazed at Sophie intently as she got on the elevator, holding Sean’s carrier with her good hand, Momi tucked behind her.“Don’t take Pim Wat’s gag off, Sophie.You don’t need her poisoning you with her lies.”

“You’re right, as always.I can’t wait to hear how you got the best of her.I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”Sophie blew a kiss to Armita and her children as the elevator closed on them.

She turned back to face her mother.“You came for me, first, after all.”

Pim Wat blinked a yes and made a gesture for Sophie to remove her gag.

“No.Armita’s right.You don’t get to speak to me.But I’ve got a few things to say to you.”

Sophie moved closer.She put her hands on her hips and stared down at the woman who’d given birth to her, now her worst enemy.“I am going to leave and turn off the lights.When I go upstairs, I’ll tell Lei and the cops all is well and that the intruder must have run away.And then, I’ll put my children to bed and go to the hospital and sit by my father’s bedside.If he dies ...”Sophie pointed at her mother.“If he dies, I won’t come down here again for ...oh, two weeks ought to do it.”

Pim Wat’s eyes widened.Her hands came together in an imploring gesture.She blinked rapidly and tears filled her eyes, overflowing to leave mascara tracks on her cheeks.

“You’re a great actress, Mother, but I’m not fooled.I don’t know who your partner was, dressed up to look like you, but she stabbed Dad, and then he shot her.All very Shakespearean, and right outside my gate.”Sophie shook her head, musing.“But something was off.Something about her, much as she looked like you—she wasn’t you, and some part of me knew it.”Sophie came closer, close enough to smell the stink of fear overpowering Pim Wat’s cologne.“If Dad lives, I may call Agent McDonald in time for him to come get you before you die, and then you can go back to your favorite place— Guantánamo Bay.McDonald’s very eager to see you again.One might even say he’s obsessed.”Sophie leaned over and checked the knots that bound Pim Wat, tightening them.“Enjoy the dark.I learned to love it with Assan Ang, who you gave me to.There’s a special craziness that comes when you never see any light.For days.”

Pim Wat lashed out with a foot, but Sophie easily sidestepped.She shook a finger at Pim Wat.“You know, I was considering tying you so you could sit down.But now ...no.You can stand there until your legs give out.And then your arms.Eventually, your bladder and bowels.”

Pim Wat shook her head vigorously, making pleading noises through the gag.

Sophie turned and walked back to the elevator.She stepped inside the dimly lit steel box.“Goodbye, Mother.”

She reached outside the door and shut off the light.

The darkness was absolute.

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